Device and method to assist with applying a sleeve to appendages

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for applying a support/compression sleeve in embodiments of the present disclosure may have one or more of the following features: (a) a first sleeve applicator body for placement between the sleeve and a user&#39;s body, (b) an upper strap extending from upper strap receptors located at an upper portion of the first sleeve applicator body, (c) a lower strap extending from lower strap receptors located at a lower portion of the first sleeve applicator body, (d) a second sleeve applicator body for placement between the sleeve and the user&#39;s body, (e) an upper strap extending from upper strap receptors located at an upper portion of the second sleeve applicator body, and (f) a lower strap extending from lower strap receptors located at a lower portion of the second sleeve applicator body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to provisionalapplication Ser. No. 62/885,004 filed Aug. 9, 2019, which isincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to compression sleeves, such asorthopedic or sports sleeves. Particularly, the present disclosurerelates to sleeves for bodily appendages, such as the elbow or knee.More particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relatesto a device for applying a sleeve to an elbow or knee of a user.

BACKGROUND

Raw powerlifting means lifting and competing with little or noadditional equipment. Generally, the only approved equipment in rawmeets are approved: singlets, lifting belts, wrist wraps, knee sleevesand chalk.

The reason for the division of raw lifting vs. equipped lifting has comeabout due to people arguing equipment will allow more weight to belifted. More weight can be lifted by the same person with the extraequipment than he/she could without it. In fact, research indicatesusing powerlifting equipment might help the lifters lift 115% more thanwithout.

Most all rule books for raw powerlifting include the use of neopreneknee sleeves. USA Powerlifting Raw/Unequipped Standards allow single-plyneoprene knee sleeves without attaching and/or tightening mechanismslike Velcro, clips, or straps. IPF Rules for CLASSIC (raw/unequipped)Lifting allows for sleeves, being cylinders of neoprene, may be wornonly on the knees by the lifter in the performance of any lift incompetition; sleeves cannot be worn or used on any part of the bodyother than the knees

Knee sleeves keep the knee joints warm and flexible, thus, keepinginjury and soreness to a minimum. But when it comes to powerlifting,most lifters wear them a couple of sizes too small in order to increasethe amount of weight lifted, even in raw lifting events. It's possibleto see an overall increase in squats of from 5-25 pounds. Knee sleevesin general, especially when a knee sleeve is one or two sizes smallerthan normal, can be very difficult to get the knee sleeve into properposition on the knee. Most powerlifters have very large calves inrelation to their knees. This is due to the large amount of weighttraining performed. Further, most powerlifters have very largequadriceps which also make it difficult to pull a smaller knee sleeve uponto the upper leg.

In general knee sleeves are going to be used in raw lifting if they areno longer than 30 cm (11.81 inches) and more than 7 mm (0.28 inches)thick. They won't be able to touch the singlet and most of the time youare going to find a list of allowed sleeves.

Knee sleeves are designed to be extremely tight to prevent injury to theknee and adjoining muscles. This makes it very difficult to move thesleeve over the calf muscle and knee, especially since the calf muscleof most lifters/powerlifters is quite large compared to the size of theknee.

Knee sleeves can be expensive ranging in price between $4 to $300. Forwomen, the pulling on of knee sleeves to get them over the calf and onthe knee can result in broken nails, which can be costly for a woman whoroutinely gets her nails done. Constant pulling with large force on aknee sleeve can cause them to be overstretched, fatigued and torn at theseams or other locations, thus reducing the structural integrity of theknee sleeve.

Therefore, what is needed is a device which allows for ease of pulling asleeve, such as a compression sleeve, over or onto an appendage of thehuman body.

What is further needed is a device which allows for ease of pulling aknee sleeve over the calf and the knee where the design of the kneesleeve remains unaltered during use of the device while pulling thesleeve over the calf and the knee.

What is still further needed is a method for using a device to allow forease in applying a sleeve to an elbow or knee, or other part of the bodythat could benefit from a compression sleeve.

SUMMARY

Therefore, it is a primary object, feature, or advantage of the presentdisclosure to improve over the state of the art.

It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present disclosureto make it easier for a user of a knee or elbow sleeve to pull thesleeve into position.

It is a still further object, feature, or advantage of the presentdisclosure to allow a user to move a knee sleeve into position quicklyand easily and remain within the equipment rules of the powerliftinggoverning bodies.

Another object, feature, or advantage is to make application of a kneeor elbow sleeve easier for handicapped people or those having only onearm.

Yet another object, feature, or advantage is reducing wear and tear on aknee or elbow sleeve due to constant tugging on the sleeve material.

A sleeve applicator in embodiments of the present disclosure may haveone or more of the following features: (a) a sleeve applicator body,having (i) a front face, (ii) a right face, (iii) a left face, (iv) arear face, (b) upper strap receptors extending from the front face tothe rear face, and (c) lower strap receptors extending from the frontface to the rear face, (d) an upper strap forming a closed loop andextending through the upper strap receptors, (e) a lower strap forming aclosed loop and extending through the lower strap receptors, (f) a frontraised face located on the front face, and (g) a top portion locatedbetween the right and the left face.

An apparatus for applying a sleeve in embodiments of the presentdisclosure may have one or more of the following features: (a) a firstsleeve applicator body for placement between the sleeve and a user'sbody, (b) an upper strap extending from upper strap receptors located atan upper portion of the first sleeve applicator body, (c) a lower strapextending from lower strap receptors located at a lower portion of thefirst sleeve applicator body, (d) a second sleeve applicator body forplacement between the sleeve and the user's body, (e) an upper strapextending from upper strap receptors located at an upper portion of thesecond sleeve applicator body, and (f) a lower strap extending fromlower strap receptors located at a lower portion of the second sleeveapplicator body.

An apparatus for applying a sleeve over a joint of a user in embodimentsof the present disclosure may have one or more of the followingfeatures: (a) a first sleeve applicator for placement between the sleeveand user's body, the first sleeve applicator having, (i) a first strapoperably coupled to an upper portion of the sleeve applicator, and (ii)a second strap operably coupled to the lower portion of the sleeveapplicator, (b) a second sleeve applicator for placement between thesleeve and user's body, the second sleeve applicator located in opposingfashion to the first sleeve applicator and having, (i) a first strapoperably coupled to an upper portion of the sleeve applicator, and (ii)a second strap operably coupled to the lower portion of the sleeveapplicator.

One or more of these and/or other objects, features, or advantages ofthe present disclosure will become apparent from the specification andclaims that follow. No single embodiment need provide every object,feature, or advantage. Different embodiments may have different objects,features, or advantages. Therefore, the present disclosure is not to belimited to or by any objects, features, or advantages stated herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Illustrated embodiments of the disclosure are described in detail belowwith reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporatedby reference herein.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a sleeve applicator in an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is side view of a sleeve applicator with straps in an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of a sleeve applicator with straps in anembodiment of the present invention

FIG. 4 is an elevated front view of a user prepping a sleeve applicatorto be applied on a knee of a user in an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is an elevated view of a user applying a knee sleeve with a pairof sleeve applicators in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of FIG. 4 in an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart diagram of a method of application of an athleticsleeve over a knee or elbow in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a front profile view of another sleeve applicator in anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a side profile view of another sleeve applicator in anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a front profile view of another sleeve applicator in anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a side profile view of another sleeve applicator in anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a front/side profile view of another sleeve applicator in anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a side profile view of another sleeve applicator in anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a front/side profile view of another sleeve applicator in anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a side profile view of another sleeve applicator in anembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 16 is a front profile view of another sleeve applicator in anembodiment of the present invention.

Some of the figures include graphical and ornamental elements. It is tobe understood the illustrative embodiments contemplate all permutationsand combinations of the various graphical elements set forth in thefigures thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in theart to make and use the present teachings. Various modifications to theillustrated embodiments will be clear to those skilled in the art, andthe generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments andapplications without departing from the present teachings. Thus, thepresent teachings are not intended to be limited to embodiments shownbut are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principlesand features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is tobe read with reference to the figures, in which like elements indifferent figures have like reference numerals. The figures, which arenot necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are notintended to limit the scope of the present teachings. Skilled artisanswill recognize the examples provided herein have many usefulalternatives and fall within the scope of the present teachings. Whileembodiments of the present disclosure are discussed in terms of kneesleeves, it is fully contemplated embodiments of the present disclosurecould be used in any sleeve application without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Embodiments of the present disclosure assist users in putting on kneesleeves, commonly used in powerlifting, and more generally, lifting, andin some instances compression sleeves for human appendages. Knee sleevesare designed to be extremely tight to prevent injury to the knee andadjoining muscles. This makes it very difficult to move the sleeve overthe calf muscle and knee, especially since the calf muscle of mostlifters/powerlifters is quite large compared to the size of the knee.Embodiments of the present disclosure allow a user to grip and lift asleeve over the calf and over the knee while keeping the sleeve frombunching up during the process.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include an elongated, generallythin, member, with holes on each opposing end for receiving a pair oflooped straps. In use, a knee sleeve is positioned about a lower portionof an individual's calf or ankle. A first one of the elongated membersis inserted between the calf and sleeve with the top holes generallyabove the top portion of the sleeve and bottom holes generally above thebottom portion of the sleeve thereby availing the user access to the topstrap attached through the top holes and the bottom strap attachedthrough the bottom holes. A second one of the elongated members ispositioned opposite the first one on the opposite side of the calf. Thetop strap is looped through the bottom strap of the first elongatedmember. Similarly, the top strap is looped through the bottom strap ofthe second elongated member. Pulling up on the top strap of the firstelongated member with one hand and while pulling up on the top strap ofthe second elongated member the sleeve is moved upward from the calf tocover the knee.

With reference to FIG. 1 , a sleeve applicator is shown in an embodimentof the present invention. Sleeve applicator 10, as shown, is mostcommonly one of a pair of sleeve applicators 10. Sleeve applicator 10 ispreferably made of a rigid material, which is able to be pressed betweena user's body and a sleeve to overcome the pressure between the user'sbody and the sleeve so the sleeve applicator can be pressed from oneopen end of a sleeve to another. These rigid materials could includeplastics, polymers, metal, wood or any other material providing thenecessary stiffness to perform the task of the sleeve applicator 10.

Sleeve applicator 10 is shown with a front face 12, a front raised face14, a right face 16, left face 18, rear face 20 and a step portion 24.Further, sleeve applicator 10 can have a top set of loop receptors 26and a bottom set of loop receptors 28. Upper strap receptors 26 arecommonly located on raised face 14. While lower strap receptors 28 arelocated on a lower portion of front face 12. As shown, right face 16 andleft face 18 are approximately 8 inches in length and ⅛ inch inthickness at front face 12 and a thickness of ⅜ inch at the raised face14. Top portion 22 has a 1-inch length and ⅜-inch thickness. Raised face14 has a 1¼ inch length. Upper strap receptors 26 and lower strapreceptors 28 are both one inch long and ⅛ inch thick. At least one keyaspect of the disclosure is to provide enough stiffness in the sleeveapplicator 10 between upper strap receptors 26 and lower strap receptors28 to keep the receptors 26, 28 spaced apart during use of the sleeveapplicator 10. Although dimensions are shown, these are for illustrativepurposes and for providing exemplary proportions that are not to bedeemed as limiting to the various embodiments disclosed and contemplatedherein.

With reference to FIG. 2 , a sleeve applicator with straps is shown inan embodiment of the present invention. Upper strap 30 is shown beinglooped through upper strap receptors 26 and lower strap 32 is shownbeing looped through lower strap receptors 28. Upper strap 30 and lowerstrap 32 can be separate straps or a single strap looped through bothreceptors 26, 28.

With reference to FIG. 3 , a rear view of a sleeve applicator withstraps is shown in an embodiment of the present invention. In the rearview, it is shown how upper strap 30 is threaded through an firstaperture strap receptor 26 from the raised face 14 to rear face 20, thenback through a second aperture of strap receptor 26 from the rear face20 through to second aperture to the raised face 12. Both upper strap 30and lower strap 32 are shown as having knots 34 on the straps; however,it is fully contemplated knots 34 can be replaced with ends of thestraps 30, 32 being sown together, clipped together, stapled together,melted together or most any durable fashion of attachment withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. Lower strap 32 has a length,when fastened together to create a loop, generally equal to the distanceof separation between the strap receptors 26, 28.

Sleeve applicator 10 can be configured with one or more labels orindicators for correctly positioning the sleeve applicator relative tothe body. For example, the top set of loop receptors 26 can includeprinted, stamped, embossed, or sticker indicia, such as “UP”, “TOP”, or“TOPSIDE”, and the bottom set of loop receptors 28 can include printed,stamped, embossed, or sticker indicia, such as, “DOWN”, “BOTTOM”, or“BOTTOMSIDE” to indicate how to position the sleeve applicator relativeto the body. Additionally, such indicia can be configured to correspondwith information provided, for example, on an instructions for use card,app, or webpage.

With reference to FIG. 4 , an elevated front view of a user prepping asleeve applicator to be applied on a knee of a user in an embodiment ofthe present invention is shown. By folding the sleeve 36 in half, theuser 40 does not have to pull the sleeve up along the calf 38 beforeusing the sleeve applicator 10. By folding the sleeve 36 in half, theuser 40 need only get the sleeve 36 past their foot and over the ankle37 just short of the calf 38.

A sleeve application process can be initialized, optionally, by firstfolding sleeve 36 approximately in half by rolling an upper portion 50of sleeve 36 over a lower portion 52 of sleeve 36. The benefits tofolding the sleeve in half are discussed in detail herein but folding ofthe sleeve is not required to properly apply the sleeve 36. Sleeve 36can then be pulled over the user's foot and ankle until located justbelow the calf 37. User 40 would place their foot inside sleeve opening54. Sleeve 36 is stopped short of the calf 38 as this can be the mostdifficult part of pulling up the sleeve. For user's with very largecalves 38 or even if the user 40 is utilizing a sleeve 36 one to twosizes smaller than normal, then pulling the sleeve 36 over the calf 38will be difficult.

User 40 can insert a sleeve applicator 10 on the left or right side ofankle 37 through fold line 44, if sleeve 36 is folded, or upper portion50 of sleeve 36 if the sleeve 36 is not folded. User 40 will push sleeveapplicator 10 between the user's skin and sleeve 36 until the bottom setof loop receptors 28 appear from under the lower portion 52 of sleeve36, or at least to where the lower strap 32 is accessible. User 40 willbe able to grab the lower strap 32 and pull it through sleeve 36. Theprocess is repeated for a sleeve applicator 10 on the opposite side ofankle 37. As for placement of each sleeve applicator, it can bebeneficial to position each one slightly rearward of a midway pointbetween the back of the calf and chin, or along the side where the calfmuscle is largest. The upper strap 30 is routed through the lower strap32 and pulled upward towards the user's head to secure the lower strap32 in connection with upper strap 30 (as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 ).This is repeated for both sleeve applicators 10 on each side of ankle 37or the elbow. User 40 would place their right hand through upper strap30 and secure the upper strap 30 around the wrist (or the user 40 couldpull with their fingers as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 ). The user would thenplace their left hand through the opposite side upper strap 30 andsecure the upper strap around the wrist. User 40 would then pull on theupper straps 30 with enough force to pull the sleeve applicators 10, andthus the sleeve 36, up over the user's joint; be it the knee 56, theelbow, or other portions of an appendage. User 40 would repeat thisprocess for the other knee 56 or elbow if necessary.

With reference to FIG. 5 , an elevated view of a user applying a kneesleeve with a pair of sleeve applicators in an embodiment of the presentdisclosure is shown. Knee sleeve 36 is shown as having been pulled overthe user's calf 38 and partially onto the user's knee 56. As shown, user40 is pulling on upper strap 30. Upper strap 30 has been looped throughlower strap 32. Thus, when user 40 pulls on upper strap 30 the force ofthe pull is transferred from the upper strap 30 to the upper strapreceptors 26 of the sleeve applicator 10. With the lifting of upperstrap 30, lower strap 32 pulls knee sleeve 36 tight against the frontface 12 of sleeve applicator 10 thereby opposing the tendency of theknee sleeve 36 to want to bunch up while being lifted. The lifting loadis then carried by the sleeve applicator 10 and lower strap 32 with thelifting force being applied by a user at the upper strap 30.

During lifting and movement, sleeve applicator 10, located between theskin of the user 40 and the sleeve 36, slides along the user's skinwhile the sleeve 36 begins to bunch as indicated at 42. It is noted, theuser 40 typically will begin with sleeve 36 folded in half. It should benoted that the sleeve 36 does not necessarily need to be folded in half,but there are benefits to folding the sleeve in half. For example, inaddition to other reasons and explanations set forth herein, folding thesleeve in half decreases the area of sleeve material touching the skinand thereby reducing drag. Folding the sleeve in half also helps stiffenthe sleeve which prevents it from bunching up as much as it would ifapplied unfolded.

First, the sleeve 36 can be up to 30 cm (11.8 inches) and this is longerthan the 8-inch-long dimension shown in FIG. 1 . Thus, by folding sleeve36 in half to roughly 15 cm (5.9 inches) sleeve applicator 10 willextend above and below the sleeve 36 when pushed between the user's calf38 and sleeve 36. This causes the sleeve applicator 10 to move along asubstantially straight line along the user's leg.

Second, by folding the sleeve 36 in half, the user 40 does not have topull the sleeve up along the calf 38 before using the sleeve applicator10. By folding the sleeve 36 in half, the user 40 need only get thesleeve 36 past their foot and over the ankle just short of the calf 38.

Third, by folding the sleeve 36 in half, the user 40 does not have tobunch up the sleeve 36 in order to extend the 8-inch sleeve applicator10 through the 30 cm sleeve 36. It is also of note, raised face 14 witha step portion 24 catches the fold line 44 of the sleeve 36 assisting innot allowing the sleeve 36 to pull up over the raised face 14 of sleeveapplicator 10.

With reference to FIG. 6 , an exploded view of FIG. 4B in an embodimentof the present disclosure is shown. In FIG. 5 , the user 40 is using oneto two fingers to grasp around upper strap 30; however, the presentdisclosure contemplates that upper strap 30 is wide enough the usercould stick their entire hand within upper strap 30 and thus pull withtheir wrists instead of just a few fingers. Thus, user 40 would havemuch greater pulling force to pull sleeve 36 up over their knee 56.

With reference to FIG. 7 , a flowchart diagram of a method ofapplication of an athletic sleeve over a knee or elbow is show in anembodiment of the present invention. This same method of applying a kneeor elbow sleeve can be used to apply various types of compressionsleeves to appendages of the body, especially where help or assistancewith applying a sleeve is desired. A sleeve application process 100 canbe initialized, optionally, at state 102 by first folding sleeve 36approximately in half by rolling an upper portion 50 of sleeve 36 over alower portion 52 of sleeve 36. The benefits to folding the sleeve inhalf are discussed in detail herein but folding of the sleeve is notrequired to properly apply the sleeve 36. Sleeve 36 can then be pulledover the user's foot and ankle until located just below the calf atstate 104. User 40 would place their foot inside sleeve opening 54.Sleeve 36 is stopped short of the calf 38 as this can be the mostdifficult part of pulling up the sleeve. For user's with very largecalves 38 or even if the user 40 is utilizing a sleeve 36 one to twosizes smaller than normal, then pulling the sleeve 36 over the calf 38will be difficult.

At state 106, user 40 can insert a sleeve applicator 10 on the left orright side of knee 56 through fold line 44, if sleeve 36 is folded, orupper portion 50 of sleeve 36 if the sleeve 36 is not folded. User 40will push sleeve applicator 10 between the user's skin and sleeve 36until the bottom set of loop receptors 28 appear from under the lowerportion 52 of sleeve 36, or at least to where the lower strap 32 isaccessible. At state 108, user 40 will be able to grab the lower strap32 and pull it through sleeve 36. At state 110, the process of state 106and 108 are repeated for a sleeve applicator 10 on the opposite side ofknee 56. As for placement of each sleeve applicator, it can bebeneficial to position each one slightly rearward of a midway pointbetween the back of the calf and chin, or along the side where the calfmuscle is largest. At state 112, the upper strap 30 is routed throughthe lower strap 32 and pulled upward towards the user's head to securethe lower strap 32 in connection with upper strap 30 (as shown in FIGS.4A, 4B and 5 ). Step 112 is repeated for both sleeve applicators 10 oneach side of knee 56 or the elbow. At state 114, user 40 would placetheir right hand through upper strap 30 and secure the upper straparound the wrist (or the user 40 could pull with their fingers as shownin FIGS. 4 and 5 ). The user would then place their left hand throughthe opposite side upper strap 30 and secure the upper strap around thewrist. User 40 would then pull on the upper straps with enough force topull the sleeve applicators 10, and thus the sleeve 36, up over theuser's joint; be it the knee, the elbow, or other portions of anappendage. User 40 would repeat this process for the other knee 56 orelbow if necessary.

It's of note, should the sleeve applicators be used by a user 40 withonly one arm, an attachment in the form of a cylinder or brace could belooped through each of the upper straps 30, thus creating a handleallowing the user to pull with their one hand. It is also contemplatedthat this cylinder or brace could also be attached by a tether to amouthguard where user 40 could pull up the knee sleeves with their headshould they have the inability to pull with their arms. Finally, atstate 116, user 40 can utilize the sleeves 36 and workout, lift weightsor for whatever purpose the user intended to wear the sleeve 36.

With reference to FIGS. 8 & 9 , a front and side profile view of anothersleeve applicator in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.Sleeve applicator 200 has upper set of loop receptors 202 and lower setof loop receptors 204 along with upper strap 206 and lower strap 208. Auniform and thinner body 210 is shown in FIG. 8 . A thinner body 210 canmake the application step at 106 easier as the body is thinner and canfit between the user's body and sleeve 36 much easier even with tighttolerances.

With reference to FIGS. 10 & 11 , a front and side profile view ofanother sleeve applicator in an embodiment of the present disclosure isshown. Sleeve applicator 300 has upper set of loop receptors 302 andlower set of loop receptors 304 along with upper strap 306 and lowerstrap 308. Sleeve applicator 300 has a similar body to sleeve applicator10 when observed from a profile view, such as FIG. 10 . A similarbeveled face 324 can be seen, but the upper set of loop receptors 302are located on the side 316 of sleeve applicator 300. Providing theupper set of loop receptors 302 on the side 316 of sleeve applicatormore of a direct upward force on sleeve applicator 300 and reduce thetangential force applied in an outward fashion when the upper set ofloop receptors are located on the raised face 14 on sleeve applicator10.

With reference to FIGS. 12 & 13 , a front/side and side profile view ofanother sleeve applicator in an embodiment of the present disclosure isshown. Sleeve applicator 400 has no set of loop receptors, but insteadthe upper strap 406 and lower strap 408 are all part of the main body402. Sleeve applicator 400 has a main body 402 which can be made from athick and rigid fabric, such as a heavy-duty Nylon, multiple layerburlap and Kevlar. This material would allow sleeve applicator 400 to beinserted between the user and the sleeve applicator 400 and be pushed tothe sleeve lower portion 52 from the upper portion 50 without bunchingup, but instead remaining rigid. Furthermore, sleeve applicator 400 is aone-piece unit, making it easy to manufacture and package and reducelabor costs in manufacturing.

With reference to FIGS. 14 & 15 , a front and side profile view ofanother sleeve applicator in an embodiment of the present disclosure isshown. Sleeve applicator 500 has upper set of loop receptors 502 andlower set of loop receptors 504 along with upper strap 506 and lowerstrap 508. Sleeve applicator 500 has a body 510 which is cylinder inshape. A cylinder shape can reduce the amount of surface area exposed tothe friction of the user's skin and the sleeve 36 itself. By loweringthe friction coefficient, it is easier for user 40 to push sleeveapplicator 500 between the user and the sleeve 36 during process 100.The application further contemplates the possibility of the user 40being able to insert one strap through the body 510 and for body 510 notneeding any loop receptors 502, 504. Thus, in operation, the user couldextend cylinder body 510 through between the user's skin and sleeve 36.Then the user 40 could route one strap from the upper opening, throughthe cylinder to the lower opening, thus creating an upper strap 506 anda lower strap 508 out of a single strap.

With reference to FIG. 16 , a front profile view of another embodimentof a sleeve applicator is shown in an embodiment of the presentinvention. Sleeve applicator 600 is shown in a compressed spring form.In use, the user 40 would squeeze the applicator 600, which would openextension arms 602 (e.g., push extension arms away from each other). Theuser 40 would then place one extension arm 602 on the inside of sleeve36 and the other extension arm 602 on the outside of sleeve 36. The userwould then release the applicator 600 and extension arms 602 would closethus pinching the sleeve 36 in between them. Enough force is createdbetween the extension arms 602 to allow the user 40 to pull onapplicator 600 and thus pull up sleeve applicator over the user's knee56 or elbow. After the sleeve 36 was pulled over knee 56, the user 40could squeeze the applicator 600 once again to push extension arms 602away from each other and release the sleeve 36. The user 40 would thenpull the sleeve applicator 600 away from the sleeve 36.

The disclosure is not to be limited to the embodiments described herein.In particular, the disclosure contemplates numerous variations in sleeveapplication. The foregoing description has been presented for purposesof illustration and description. It is not intended to be an exhaustivelist or limit any of the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Itis contemplated that other alternatives or exemplary aspects areconsidered included in the invention. The description is merely examplesof embodiments, processes or methods of the invention. It is understoodthat any other modifications, substitutions, and/or additions can bemade, which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for applying a sleeve, comprising: afirst sleeve applicator body for placement between the sleeve and auser's body; an upper strap extending from upper strap receptors locatedat an upper portion of the first sleeve applicator body; and a lowerstrap extending from lower strap receptors located at a lower portion ofthe first sleeve applicator body; wherein the upper strap is placedwithin the lower strap and pulled toward the user to connect the upperand the lower strap together.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising: a second sleeve applicator body for placement between thesleeve and the user's body.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, furthercomprising: an upper strap extending from upper strap receptors locatedat an upper portion of the second sleeve applicator body; and a lowerstrap extending from lower strap receptors located at a lower portion ofthe second sleeve applicator body.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, whereinthe first and second sleeve applicator are located on opposing sides ofa sleeve during operation of the first and second sleeve applicators. 5.The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sleeve is a knee sleeve.
 6. Anapparatus for applying a sleeve over a joint of a user, comprising: afirst sleeve applicator for placement between the sleeve and user'sbody, the first sleeve applicator having: a first strap operably coupledto an upper portion of the sleeve applicator; and a second strapoperably coupled to the lower portion of the sleeve applicator; and asecond sleeve applicator for placement between the sleeve and user'sbody, the second sleeve applicator located in opposing fashion to thefirst sleeve applicator and having: a first strap operably coupled to anupper portion of the sleeve applicator; and a second strap operablycoupled to the lower portion of the sleeve applicator; wherein the firstand the second applicator are removed once the sleeve is properly placedover the user's joint.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the sleevecan be folded or unfolded during application.
 8. The apparatus of claim6, wherein the first and second sleeve applicators are pushed betweenthe sleeve and the user's body until the second strap of the first andsecond sleeve applicator extends out of a bottom of the sleeve.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 8, wherein the first strap of the first and secondsleeve applicators is capable of being pulled through the second strapand then pulled away from the second strap for locking the first and thesecond strap together in a working relationship.
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 9, wherein the user can place at least one finger within the upperstrap in order to pull upon the upper strap.
 11. The apparatus of claim10, wherein the user can place their entire hand within the upper strapand pull with their wrist.